To lose weight, you need 60-90 minutes (6,000 – 9,000 steps) of moderate to brisk walking, while ensuring that your caloric intake is less than your energy output.

To further increase muscle mass, muscle strength, agility, flexibility and stamina, you need to add strength training and resistance exercises such as calisthenics, pilates and yoga, two three times a week in addition to your daily walking.

Sound overwhelming? Relax. It’s really not. And it’s much easier when you break it down into smaller pieces. You can start by setting a goal and increasing your steps by 20% over your baseline each week. At the end of each month, review your progress.

Recommitting to your walking routine is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and setting goals can help.

Use the following S.M.A.R.T. criteria to develop your goal, upload your steps and review your progress weekly and you will achieve what you have set out to do.

M – Measurable. Upload your steps once or twice a week and use the tools on the Walkingspree website. Monitoring your progress will encourage you to keep going.

A – Adjustable. Be flexible and have a backup plan in case you are not able to get out for your regular walk or catch a cold. Adding 1,000 or so steps a day (about 10-15 minutes more walking time) may be all you need to get back on track.

R – Realistic. Make sure the goal reflects what is attainable for you and not based on comparing yourself to others. This is a lifelong commitment, not a horse race.

T – Time based. Set a deadline, and remember long term changes are achieved when you invest the time.

Finally:

Enjoy the outdoors. Appreciate the fresh air, the birds singing, and greeting the many other walkers you’ll come across. Take different routes and explore new areas in your neighborhood. Walk to work and head outside at lunch time with a co-worker for a walk.

Check your dashboard. It’s an excellent visual reminder. Do it daily and remember to upload your tracker at least weekly.

Success stories can motivate you. They provide inspiration when you see other everyday people like yourselves, pushing themselves a little further to achieve a goal. These recent Walkingspree success stories include our winning entry from Lillie as well as honorable mentions from many other deserving members.

We hope you are inspired by them as much as we were.

“I enjoyed walking when I was younger but as I’ve gotten older and busier I’ve moved away from the habit. When we received the pedometers from BCBSM as part of a healthier living incentive I was challenged. I had been saying that I wanted to lose the weight I had gained and just thinking of my health in general. It was time I reintroduce myself to a habit that I use to love. Every day I made it my goal to increase my steps or at least match the day previous day’s record. I started taking the steps instead of riding the elevator. Instead of driving to the convenience store I started walking there. Before long I was walking almost every day.

I eventually started noticing a difference in the way that my clothes were fitting and how my body was feeling. I was actually losing the weight and at the same time getting a quiet moment to myself to reflect.

I’m glad to say that I’m still walking and I feel good. I’m down 47 pounds and counting. This challenge has been extremely instrumental in helping me get back to walking and taking better care of my over all healthy.

Thank you Blue Cross and Blue Shield for challenging your employees to B Well!! I know it made a difference in my life.Lillie, BCBS of Michigan Employee

“My name is Amy and I am 31. When I was 29 years old I passed out in the bathtub and hit my head and broke my nose. I ended up having a closed head injury. The hospital couldn’t say for sure that I passed out from anything specific, but they said I was unhealthy and I needed to change my life and fast. I had high cholesterol and I was very over weight and unhappy. My health insurance was asking us to participate in a program to manage our BMI or pay more out of pocket for our health insurance. I felt like they were forcing me to choose a plan that they felt would make me “healthy”, I didn’t feel like anything would make me healthy, I was destined to be fat and unhappy. I was angry, how could they force me to change my life?!? Who were they to demand such an action from unhappy me? Didn’t they know I was tired? I am a mommy, a full time employee and full time graduate school student. Who has time to walk?!?

But, being the cheap skate that I am, I wanted to keep my health insurance premium down and so I began walking to show that silly company that a pedometer wouldn’t make me change my life, I’d show them! Slowly but surely, I tried to walk a little more each day just to get the silly program over with. I’d show them! By the end of the second quarter I had lost about 10 pounds just from walking. I began to see that life could change. I wasn’t trapped in this big body that made me sad. I began looking into something called a 5k, it was completely foreign to my me, could I do a 5k? I did just that. I walked my first 5k in March 2012, I finished in 53 minutes. I don’t think I’ve ever been that proud of myself. I decided to keep a private journal reflecting my thoughts, I wanted to track not only my physical changes but my emotional changes as well.

I decided maybe this walking thing wasn’t that bad, and if I could walk, maybe I could jog. I began to jog very slowly, but jog none the less. I ended up walk/ jogging three more 5ks that summer. I began finishing my required steps for Walkingspree more than a month early. I suddenly realized, that company that I was trying to prove that a pedometer wouldn’t change my life was doing just that, it opened a door to a new me. It changed me, it made me start to ask myself what else can I do? What else can I change? When summer came and it got hot outside, I lost my drive. I’ve always hated to be hot, I quickly put back on the weight that I had lost and then some. Soon fall was here, and I was sad and angry again. I decided to read my journal that I kept, and I found my inspiration to get moving again. I found the post of the first time that I was able to walk over 10,000 steps in a day. I remember this was a huge milestone for me, I had always felt like that was an impossible number to reach.

In the fall, once the weather began to cool, I began to get moving again. I began jogging and walking, or doing other cardio workouts and looking at the emails that Walkingspree sent me about healthy eating. I made some changes and in just over six months I’ve lost almost 60 pounds. I no longer have high cholesterol and I am moving my BMI down into the the overweight range, as opposed to the morbidly obese range. I feel so much better about myself. I’m happy and I have energy, I look forward to my workouts now. I’ve even set a goal to run a half marathon in February of 2014. To think all this change saved me from myself, all started because of a little pedometer. “Amy, Blue Care Network of Michigan’s Healthy Blue Living insurance member

“I am so happy and motivated to be a part of this awesome program! Thank you BROADWAY! Having the pedometer really motivates me to get off the couch and take extra steps when I’m home and this weekend, I took my children walking and running with me as well. It was awesome!”Heather, Broadway Bank EmployeeI’ve only lost about 10 lbs during my Mall Walkers membership, but I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge about myself & my habits. I LOVE my pedometer & how easy it is to upload & monitor my progress. We’ve had several family funerals this spring with out-of-town house guests & they teased me about all my walking, but I just smiled & told them that I’m “on the road to a better me” & the walking is a NECESSITY to keep all my joints fit & the food from “sticking”. I’ve also shared the Walkingspree recipes & forward the motivational emails on. I’ve also included other friends into my monthly Mall Walkers events. So- THANKS Jen & the Mall Walkers team!!!!!!!Bernadette, Excela Health memberI work at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. I have lost 43 pounds in the last 3 years with the help of Weight Watchers and Walkingspree. I am including my husband George in the picture because he has been with me every “step of the way.” He also keeps track of his steps. Making time to walk is a challenge every day.

I also want to say thank you to my co-workers. We have our own walking challenges in between the official Walkingspree challenges. It keeps us all motivated! Being healthy is not easy…it can be downright brutal. But, so worth it!

Thank you.Patti, BCBS of Michigan Employee

Had to take a minute and tell you how Walkingspree has changed my life. I try to get in at least 12,000 steps a day. I have lost 30 pounds and feel so much better. Time to go on a ShoppingSpree! It has helped my asthma and given me more energy to do those things that I used to shy away from. Thanks so much for my new life!Rose, United Methodist Church EmployeeSince I began the Walkingspree program last January, I have lost 12 pounds. I was taking Prilosec daily for acid reflux disease. With the weight loss and the walking program, I no longer need to take Prilosec. Also, my blood pressure was borderline high in January of 2012. I was monitoring my blood pressure and pleaded with my doctor to give me three months to exercise and lose weight so that I wouldn’t have to take medication. Within three months, my blood pressure was normal. I am thankful for the Walkingspree program. It was just the right inspiration I needed to be motivated to walk every day.Vicki, BCBS of Michigan EmployeeWalkingspree is a specialized wellness program vendor that employs interactive technology to inspire healthier choices and increased physical activity. Walkingspree programs are already in use by health insurers, insurance brokers, Fortune 500 companies, and small to medium sized businesses. To learn more about the significant benefits that your company and your employees can realize with our corporate walking program, request a demo today.

Recommitting to your walking routine is one of the most important things you can do for yourself this year, and setting goals can help. Use the following S.M.A.R.T. criteria to develop your goal, upload your steps and review your progress weekly and you will achieve what you have set out to do.

M – Measurable. Upload your steps once or twice a week and use the tools on the Walkingspree website. Monitoring your progress will encourage you to keep going.

A – Adjustable. Be flexible and have a backup plan in case you are not able to get out for your regular walk or catch a cold. Adding 1,000 or so steps a day (about 10-15 minutes more walking time) may be all you need to get back on track.

R – Realistic. Make sure the goal reflects what is attainable for you and not based on comparing yourself to others. This is a lifelong commitment, not a horse race.

T – Time based. Set a deadline, and remember long term changes are achieved when you invest the time.

Using these steps will help you reach your goal one step at a time. Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year – Happy Stepping!

With the New Year comes resolutions and your commitment to walking which is probably the most important thing you can do this year. And goal setting can help you achieve it. Use the following S.M.A.R.T. criteria to develop your goal, review your progress weekly, and you will achieve what you have set out to do.

M – Measurable. Upload your steps once or twice a week and use the tools on the Walkingspree website. Monitoring your progress will encourage you to keep going.

A – Adjustable. Be flexible and have a backup plan in case you are not able to get out for your regular walk or catch a cold. Adding 1,000 or so steps a day (about 10-15 minutes more walking time) may be all you need to get back on track.

R – Realistic. Make sure the goal reflects what is attainable for you and not based on comparing yourself to others. This is a lifelong commitment, not a horse race.

T – Time based. Set a deadline, and remember long term changes are achieved when you invest the time.

There will always be days that you don’t meet your goals, but it’s like brushing your teeth. If you forgot one night before bed, you wouldn’t say “I give up. I’m never brushing my teeth again.” Fitness and health is the same way, get back up the next day and start all over again.

One of the key components to the Walkingspree program is walking challenges. They help motive and keep you on track. Meeting the daily step averages can give you a tremendous feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. So much so, that you will want to start exceeding those goals and set some of your own.

So be smart when setting your next daily step target and do it gradually. Jumping to 10,000 steps a day when you average 5,000 may result in injury, so be smart and increase your steps over time.

Take your daily average and increase it by 20 percent (multiply current average by 1.2; current average 5,000 x 1.2 = 6,000). Update your new step goal on your Walkingspree home/portal page and track your steps daily. Once you have achieved your new goal and maintained it over a period of a week, increase your step goal again by 20 percent. If 20 percent is too challenging, increase your steps by 10 percent.

The good news is that studies show wearing a pedometer helps people increase their steps.

Here are ways to get in more steps:

Take the long way to the restroom, water cooler or break room.

Park your car at the back of the parking lot.

Take a walking break at work.

Take a lap around the grocery store or mall before shopping.

Walk with a buddy.

Make taking a walk before or after dinner a new habit.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

And of course, it’s Halloween and a great way to get in more steps. Take a walk around the neighborhood and enjoy the decorations, or tag along with the kids as they go trick-or-treating.

Share your favorite ways to get in extra steps in the comment section below or post your tips on our Facebook page.

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About Walkingspree

The challenge with workplace wellness is how to motivate long-term behavior changes in employees to reduce health are costs.

Driving wellness program participation works in the short run, but may not establish lifestyle changes. Behavior changes require commitment to wellness via ongoing engagement. Walkingspree delivers results.

Walkingspree uses technology to deliver an effective corporate wellness program for any industry. The program is based on the use of wireless activity trackers to encourage members get moving and shows how incremental bits of exercise and movement can add up over a day to deliver an effective physical activity program.

This blog is a public blog. Please do not post private information related to your Walkingspree account.

Search

About Walkingspree

The challenge with workplace wellness is how to motivate long-term behavior changes in employees to reduce health are costs.

Driving wellness program participation works in the short run, but may not establish lifestyle changes. Behavior changes require commitment to wellness via ongoing engagement. Walkingspree delivers results.

Walkingspree uses technology to deliver an effective corporate wellness program for any industry. The program is based on the use of wireless activity trackers to encourage members get moving and shows how incremental bits of exercise and movement can add up over a day to deliver an effective physical activity program.

This blog is a public blog. Please do not post private information related to your Walkingspree account.